Table A1 Tensions-resolving efforts and... | Emerald Publishing

Table A1

Tensions-resolving efforts and type of workarounds

Area of tensions	Tension-resolving efforts	Evidence of workaround (Quotation from interviewee)	Workaround types (definitions)
Incompatible existing systems for data capture	Copy-pasting vendor data in the blockchain system is nonrepresentative of actual data	“Once we receive these pellets, I will just copy whatever information they have there so now they don't need to do this scanning. I just copy whatever the window is saying about the harvest date and the details, basically so that information comes to their part of the blockchain. Generate flows through because they believe there is no trust issue there, so their process was so you can see that they had a different process and we had a different process in terms of implementing this blockchain.”--interviewee 2, case 2	Data adjustments (Gasser, 1986) Actors “cheat” the system by entering data that do not reflect the actual data in the system and that are nevertheless important for local use (Malaurent and Karanasios, 2020, p. 5)
Incompatible product labeling for blockchain data capture	Modifying the existing product labeling and scanning process	“The cooler would manually receive it due to inconsistent and incompatible product labelling. Somebody would write down the farm, lot number, temperature, and quality on a clipboard, then type it into Excel. The next morning the supervisor would review it for errors. Now, with PTI labels scanned at the field, it arrives at the cooler and someone just scans it, streamlining the process.” ----Interviewee 10, case 2	Procedural adjustment (Gasser, 1986) Users modify organizational procedures to overcome misfits and, by doing so, design alternative procedures that fit their requirements (Malaurent and Karanasios, 2020, p. 5)
Inconsistent local and global organizations' information-sharing policy	Adjusting the local organizations' existing information-sharing policy to support required data sharing in blockchain	“On lower levels, tensions did arise. We dealt with this by explaining how we would use the data, but if that did not resolve the issue, we had to escalate to the board. For example, a local IT department was unwilling to share data with the blockchain. Once the global board pushed, we received all the data required.” ---Interviewee 3 case 1
Inconsistency in data standards between blockchain systems and organizations	Changing the existing system to complement data standards and allowing data input to the blockchain through temporary ID	“We require GS1 standard for the data. If a farmer doesn't have GS1, they can use a temporary ID while working to get GS1. The platform assigns unique identifiers, globally unique eventually, so suppliers can use their internal systems as long as they talk to the GS1 standard.” --- Interviewee 12, case 2	Parallel system adjustment (Gasser, 1986) Adjustment in the legacy systems and other parallel systems developed to fulfill the system operation or local requirement (Malaurent and Karanasios, 2020, p. 5)
Manual data input to blockchain and complex scanning	Integrating complementary technology to support automated scans and designing automated disaggregation to strategically skip scans at different points	We didn't have the right system to capture information, so there was a lot of manual intervention. We created an app, gave an extra phone, but connectivity issues persisted. Staff had to move locations to scan codes, which was challenging.” --interviewee 2, case 2
Inconsistency in the physical product transformation process vs blockchain system	Augmenting existing product transformation process in the blockchain system	To confirm DC receiving, during initial logging in the sandbox, the tech provider facilitated an ‘automated disaggregation’ event, so we didn't need to enter DC receiving information--Secondary document, case 2
Nonpersistent data input to blockchain	Enabling mediating roles of blockchain providers to ensure all data provided to blockchain	We are not only a technology provider, we also provide data assurance, checking that submitted batches are from Rainforest Alliance certified farms and maintaining certificates up to date.” .---- Interviewee 6, case 1	Role adjustment Adjusting the role of employees to support blockchain operations and local needs to resolve tensions (Azad and King, 2008)
Lack of understanding of blockchain's business value	Advocating roles by a retailer in bringing awareness and communicating the potential value of blockchain	We did a lot to network and awareness programs around convincing the supplier to make sure they understand blockchain, why we want them to use blockchain, and the value proposition for them.---interviewee 12 case 2
Lack of technical maturity	Agency role by technically matured actors who provided data to the blockchain. So, farmers' buyers become farmer agents by providing data to the blockchain on their behalf	if “If a small farmer can't digitize data, someone else (packing house, cooling facility) can upload on their behalf. This brings people along step-by-step rather than requiring everything at once.” ----Intermediary 12, case 2
Blockchain immutability and organizational flexibility	Enabling data modification in the blockchain system	The platform is centralized in design. It does not attempt to solve any trust gap among the participants at the moment. The whole system works on the assumption that everyone is doing their job correctly, without any malice. There is no consensus mechanism (an algorithm for achieving agreement in a distributed system) in place as it depends on off-the-chain trust among the players. Even the immutability is not practically enforced because any party can update their side of the information without asking any other party-- Secondary document case 2	Strategic design adjustments (identified in this study)
Resistance to sharing data among organizations	Deciding to have limited data elements in blockchain	We discussed with partners what information to open. We started with 25 elements but ended up with 12–14 that could be on blockchain-- Interviewee 3 from Case 1	Strategic design adjustments (identified in this study)

Area of tensions	Tension-resolving efforts	Evidence of workaround(Quotation from interviewee)	Workaround types (definitions)
Incompatible existing systems for data capture	Copy-pasting vendor data in the blockchain system is nonrepresentative of actual data	“Once we receive these pellets, I will just copy whatever information they have there so now they don't need to do this scanning. I just copy whatever the window is saying about the harvest date and the details, basically so that information comes to their part of the blockchain. Generate flows through because they believe there is no trust issue there, so their process was so you can see that they had a different process and we had a different process in terms of implementing this blockchain.”--interviewee 2, case 2	Data adjustments (Gasser, 1986)Actors “cheat” the system by entering data that do not reflect the actual data in the system and that are nevertheless important for local use (Malaurent and Karanasios, 2020, p. 5)
Incompatible product labeling for blockchain data capture	Modifying the existing product labeling and scanning process	“The cooler would manually receive it due to inconsistent and incompatible product labelling. Somebody would write down the farm, lot number, temperature, and quality on a clipboard, then type it into Excel. The next morning the supervisor would review it for errors. Now, with PTI labels scanned at the field, it arrives at the cooler and someone just scans it, streamlining the process.” ----Interviewee 10, case 2	Procedural adjustment (Gasser, 1986)Users modify organizational procedures to overcome misfits and, by doing so, design alternative procedures that fit their requirements (Malaurent and Karanasios, 2020, p. 5)
Inconsistent local and global organizations' information-sharing policy	Adjusting the local organizations' existing information-sharing policy to support required data sharing in blockchain	“On lower levels, tensions did arise. We dealt with this by explaining how we would use the data, but if that did not resolve the issue, we had to escalate to the board. For example, a local IT department was unwilling to share data with the blockchain. Once the global board pushed, we received all the data required.” ---Interviewee 3 case 1
Inconsistency in data standards between blockchain systems and organizations	Changing the existing system to complement data standards and allowing data input to the blockchain through temporary ID	“We require GS1 standard for the data. If a farmer doesn't have GS1, they can use a temporary ID while working to get GS1. The platform assigns unique identifiers, globally unique eventually, so suppliers can use their internal systems as long as they talk to the GS1 standard.” --- Interviewee 12, case 2	Parallel system adjustment (Gasser, 1986)Adjustment in the legacy systems and other parallel systems developed to fulfill the system operation or local requirement (Malaurent and Karanasios, 2020, p. 5)
Manual data input to blockchain and complex scanning	Integrating complementary technology to support automated scans and designing automated disaggregation to strategically skip scans at different points	We didn't have the right system to capture information, so there was a lot of manual intervention. We created an app, gave an extra phone, but connectivity issues persisted. Staff had to move locations to scan codes, which was challenging.” --interviewee 2, case 2
Inconsistency in the physical product transformation process vs blockchain system	Augmenting existing product transformation process in the blockchain system	To confirm DC receiving, during initial logging in the sandbox, the tech provider facilitated an ‘automated disaggregation’ event, so we didn't need to enter DC receiving information--Secondary document, case 2
Nonpersistent data input to blockchain	Enabling mediating roles of blockchain providers to ensure all data provided to blockchain	We are not only a technology provider, we also provide data assurance, checking that submitted batches are from Rainforest Alliance certified farms and maintaining certificates up to date.” .---- Interviewee 6, case 1	Role adjustmentAdjusting the role of employees to support blockchain operations and local needs to resolve tensions (Azad and King, 2008)
Lack of understanding of blockchain's business value	Advocating roles by a retailer in bringing awareness and communicating the potential value of blockchain	We did a lot to network and awareness programs around convincing the supplier to make sure they understand blockchain, why we want them to use blockchain, and the value proposition for them.---interviewee 12 case 2
Lack of technical maturity	Agency role by technically matured actors who provided data to the blockchain. So, farmers' buyers become farmer agents by providing data to the blockchain on their behalf	if “If a small farmer can't digitize data, someone else (packing house, cooling facility) can upload on their behalf. This brings people along step-by-step rather than requiring everything at once.” ----Intermediary 12, case 2
Blockchain immutability and organizational flexibility	Enabling data modification in the blockchain system	The platform is centralized in design. It does not attempt to solve any trust gap among the participants at the moment. The whole system works on the assumption that everyone is doing their job correctly, without any malice. There is no consensus mechanism (an algorithm for achieving agreement in a distributed system) in place as it depends on off-the-chain trust among the players. Even the immutability is not practically enforced because any party can update their side of the information without asking any other party-- Secondary document case 2	Strategic design adjustments (identified in this study)
Resistance to sharing data among organizations	Deciding to have limited data elements in blockchain	We discussed with partners what information to open. We started with 25 elements but ended up with 12–14 that could be on blockchain-- Interviewee 3 from Case 1	Strategic design adjustments (identified in this study)

Source(s): Authors’ own work